Page 36 of A Royal Obligation
He smiled at her. “I’m glad you approve. I hope you have a nice evening.” He scurried away before she could say another word, running his hands through his hair as he escaped to the men’s sitting room.
Barrett sat in a brown leather chair and grabbed a book from the table next to him. He surmised his endeavor was useless after he read the same paragraph five times. Too many questions were running through his mind to be able to focus.
How should I act on these dates? What do people even talk about on dates?
He sighed and slumped back into the chair.
Forget about dates, what do people talk to their spouse about for the rest of their lives? Won’t they run out of things to say?
He never ran out of things to say to Jules in the notes they had been writing back and forth for the past few months. A smile formed across his lips at the thought of Jules and how endearing her letters were. She was so authentically herself. It was entirely refreshing to see after growing up in a life of polished, poised people who never seemed to truly voice their mind.
He shook his head.I need to stop thinking of Jules. Soon enough I will end up with Charlotte. That’s where my focus needs to be.
Barrett looked at his watch and realized he was late for dinner. He was never late for anything. He shot up out of the chair and scurried to the dining room. He threw aside formalities as he rushed through the door to find everyone already seated. Even Liam was already there.
“We’ve all been waiting for ages. You know it is rude to keep our guests waiting.” Liam chided him with a wink as Barrett hurriedly took a seat between his father and Charlotte.
“Then I guess you have been incessantly rude for ages,” Barrett retorted.
King Henry cleared his throat in an over-the-top manner, giving each of his sons a stern look. Barrett looked down at his empty plate and Liam leaned back into his seat with a smug smile, crossing his arms.
The majority of dinner was filled with only the sounds of silverware connecting with the plates. Finally, Charlotte broke the silence.
“I am very much looking forward to our upcoming outings, Prince Barrett. Especially the horseback riding.”
Barrett gulped as his eyes darted to Jules.What does she think about me going on a date with Lady Charlotte?He shook the question from his head.Why would she care? She’s been the one coaching me through all of this. Jules knows I have to marry royalty.
Liam forcibly pushed back his seat, shaking the entire table. His face turned into a snarl as he turned to face Barrett.
“You’re going horseback riding? How can you be so insensitive, you—”
The king interrupted him. “That is quite enough, Liam. You would do well to remember there are ladies present.” He gave Liam a pointed look and then turned his attention to Barrett. “I think that horseback riding sounds like a wonderful idea. If I was feeling better, I would attend. I hope you all have a splendid time.”
Barrett nodded his thanks. Liam huffed as he stomped toward the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” King Henry questioned.
Liam spun on his heels. “I’m retiring to my room for the evening. I seem to have lost my appetite as much as the two of you have lost your minds.” He stormed out of the room with all the drama of a Broadway star.
The dining room was filled with another bout of silence.
“This chicken Milanese is incredible.” Jules said shyly, taking another bite of her food.
“I will give your compliments to the chef,” Barrett replied.
After it was silent for another moment, Charlotte whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, Dear. That was just Liam being Liam.” King Henry wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin. “I am going to my room,” he said, pushing back his chair and standing. “Ladies.” The king nodded at Lady Charlotte and Jules before leaving.
“I have some things to work on tonight. So if you’ll excuse me. I will see you both tomorrow.” Barrett kissed Lady Charlotte’s knuckles and gave Jules a small smile before leaving them to finish their meal.
Barrett sat at his table in the library working on princely tasks. Today’s main undertaking was to finalize the guest list and the menu for the next state dinner. The eight countries in Fenimore swapped who hosted each year, and Wistonia would be hosting the next one in the spring. He triple-checked the guest list and wrote a proposal for Chef Ben and Chef Lorenzo to review.
As he was trying to review tablecloth options, he couldn’t ignore the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach about his upcoming dates with Charlotte. He sighed, flipping the book of tablecloth options shut. He would have to finish another day. Barrett rubbed his temples. Leaving his books at the table, he shuffled his way to the kitchen.
Barrett rounded the door into the kitchen to find that Ben and all of his staff had already left for the evening. Feeling the need to do something useful with his trembling hands, Barrett walked into the pantry to find ingredients for one of his favorite desserts: apple crisp.
He heard shoes creak on the floor behind him and jumped, holding a hand to his heart.